SAINT LEO, Fla. - The Eckerd women's basketball team earned its first victory of the new year tonight while snapping a three-game skid as the Tritons topped Saint Leo on the road Wednesday night, 54-45.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 54, Saint Leo 45
Records: Eckerd 12-5 (6-4 SSC), Saint Leo 7-11 (2-8 SSC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Eckerd began the game on a 6-0 run capped by a Kacie Juday bucket. Saint Leo quickly chipped into the Eckerd lead, pulling within one at 8-7 with 4:30 left in the first quarter. Zoe Richards pushed the Tritons back up by four draining a 3-pointer less than a minute later. The Lions answered with two 3's as they went ahead by four before Yarden Danan knocked in a jumper with 30 seconds left in the quarter to even the score at 15-15 to end the period.
- The second quarter remained tight as the lead went back and forth over the first two minutes. A bucket by Danan put Eckerd up by four with seven minutes to go. The next three minutes held steady for the Tritons with a one-possession lead. Danan gave Eckerd its largest lead of the quarter (five points) with a layup on a fast break at the 3:56 mark. The Lions went on a 6-0 run in the next three minutes putting them up by one before Dallas Dickerson gave Eckerd the lead at the half, 31-30, by sinking two free throws in the final minute.
- Eckerd took the lead for good early in the third quarter after Armi Anttila answered a Saint Leo basket with 7:28 on the clock. The Tritons later increased the gap to a six-point lead following a 3-pointer by Chelsea Johnson with under three minutes left in the quarter. Eckerd maintained that six-point lead to end the period after an Abby Whiteye free throw.
- The Tritons further added to their lead via a 9-0 run over the first five minutes of the final quarter capped by a Juday bucket that gave Eckerd its largest lead of the night at 15 points. EC went cold after taking that lead, going the last 5:16 of the game without a point, but the team's defense did its job down the stretch in holding Saint Leo scoreless in the quarter until a pair of inconsequential 3-pointers in the final minutes.Â
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Richards led all scorers with 13 points while going 6-for-8 from the floor while Danan added 11 points, eight of which came in the first half. Juday led Eckerd on the boards grabbing nine rebounds.
- Both teams shot roughly 45 percent from the floor in the first half. In the second half, Eckerd shot 42.1 percent while holding the Lions to 26 percent from the floor.
- The Tritons have won seven in a row against Saint Leo. The Lions' last win over Eckerd came on February 26, 2014.
- Eckerd sits in a tie for third place with Barry in the conference at the halfway point of SSC play. Both teams are a game behind Embry-Riddle for second and lead a quartet of teams by a game in a very tight race.
QUOTABLE
"We didn't have our best shooting night tonight but our defense was very good down the stretch. I was proud of our fight." - EC head coach
Paul Honsinger
UP NEXT
Eckerd will return home after a two-week road stretch hosting Florida Tech on Saturday for a 2:00 PM tip.
